Dear tear,Is the phrase in the brackets below correct? I have found the sentences in the articke on the Net but I have been taught that correct negative with "like" should be "They do not like that". Is it a special usage I have not heard of or is it a mistake?

I think that you need to remember that the word "like" is sometimes a verb and sometimes not a verb.

A verb:

1. I like broccoli. / I do not like broccoli.2. She likes newspapers. / She does not like newspapers.3. They liked the movie. / They did not like the movie.

Not a verb:

Joe: Do you know Mona? I have never met her.Susan: Yes, I do.Joe: What is she like? (= describe her)Susan: She is very polite and intelligent.Joe: Some people told me that she is selfish.Susan: Who told you that? Mona is not like that. ( = she is not selfish)

If you want more examples of "like" when it describes a person or thing or place ("I hear that you visited Paris last month. What is it like?"), check a good dictionary. This use of "like" is usually listed as a preposition (although older books call it an adjective).